Scranton republican

THE PROBABLE VOTE IN UTAH.
Great interest now attaches to the relative strength of parties in Utah. The Mormons have heretofore had a heavy majority—four or five to one—and the question is how much the Edmunds law will diminish their voting strength. The total population of Utah in 1880 was 148,963. The males over twenty-one years of age numbered 32,673. The Mormon Herald estimates the vote at two-sevenths of the total population, women having the right to vote as well as men. That would give about 41,000 votes in all. Of these the Herald concedes 7,000 to the Gentiles, while the Tribune (anti-Mormon) claims 10,000. If we make a compromise and allow 8,500 to the Gentiles, we shall have 32,500 left for the Mormons. It is impossible to tell how many of these are disqualified by the Edmunds bill. Cannon says that one Mormon male out of every eight is a polyga-mist. Allowing an average of three wives to each polygamist, that would diminish their voting strength by 8,125, leaving them 24,375 votes. If one-fourth of the men are polygamists, and three-fourths of the women, they would have 16,250 votes, or nearly twice as many as the Gentiles. The Salt Lake Tribune takes for granted that 48,000 Mor-mons, male and female, are disfranchised by the new law and places the relative strength of parties at 10,000 each. This is an evident under-estimate of the Mormon strength. We have no doubt that out of perhaps 27,-000 voters the Mormons will have a majority of 9,000, even if the orders of the Commissioners are thorough-ly carried out. But it is hardly possible that their orders will be thoroughly carried out. One-third of the county registrars are Mor-mons, who will of course appoint Mormon precinct registrars, and they will undoubted-ly enrol as many Mormons as they can with-out overdoing the matter so much as to viti-ate the results of their work.

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THE PROBABLE VOTE IN UTAH.
Great interest now attaches to the relative strength of parties in Utah. The Mormons have heretofore had a heavy majority—four or five to one—and the question is how much the Edmunds law will diminish their voting strength. The total population of Utah in 1880 was 148,963. The males over twenty-one years of age numbered 32,673. The Mormon Herald estimates the vote at two-sevenths of the total population, women having the right to vote as well as men. That would give about 41,000 votes in all. Of these the Herald concedes 7,000 to the Gentiles, while the Tribune (anti-Mormon) claims 10,000. If we make a compromise and allow 8,500 to the Gentiles, we shall have 32,500 left for the Mormons. It is impossible to tell how many of these are disqualified by the Edmunds bill. Cannon says that one Mormon male out of every eight is a polyga-mist. Allowing an average of three wives to each polygamist, that would diminish their voting strength by 8,125, leaving them 24,375 votes. If one-fourth of the men are polygamists, and three-fourths of the women, they would have 16,250 votes, or nearly twice as many as the Gentiles. The Salt Lake Tribune takes for granted that 48,000 Mor-mons, male and female, are disfranchised by the new law and places the relative strength of parties at 10,000 each. This is an evident under-estimate of the Mormon strength. We have no doubt that out of perhaps 27,-000 voters the Mormons will have a majority of 9,000, even if the orders of the Commissioners are thorough-ly carried out. But it is hardly possible that their orders will be thoroughly carried out. One-third of the county registrars are Mor-mons, who will of course appoint Mormon precinct registrars, and they will undoubted-ly enrol as many Mormons as they can with-out overdoing the matter so much as to viti-ate the results of their work.